Smart Electrolytes for a New Perspective on Electrochemical Energy Storage

电化学储能系统对于开发确保我们现代社会可持续发展所需的技术至关重要。某些电化学储能设备，如锂离子电池和超级电容器，得到了广泛的应用，并已经改变了我们存储电能的方式，主要是在游牧电子设备和电动汽车中。到目前为止，这些器件的特性和性能在很大程度上是由组成电极的电活性材料决定的。因此，活性物质的发展速度与用于支持电池内离子电荷转移的电解液的发展速度之间存在相当大的差距。拟议的研究计划是我的团队正在进行的努力的一部分，目的是通过开发在导致能量储存的反应中发挥积极作用的先进电解液来改变这种情况。这项研究的目的是提高氧化还原活性电解液超级电容器的能量密度，并开发使用氧化还原离子液体电解液的新型无金属液体电极电池。这一目标的动机是这样一个事实，即离子在液体中的传输通常比在固相中快103，从而改善了电化学反应动力学。智能电解液，例如我打算通过该计划开发的那些，并不是仅仅通过在传统电解液中添加化学功能来获得的；相反，它们具有结合了溶剂、离子载体和活性电荷存储中心的作用的特定分子。离子液体是非常适合开发智能电解液的平台，因为对传统溶剂分子进行化学修饰并保持液体相的方法很少。这些氧化还原离子液体含有与其离子相连的电活性基团；当被氧化或还原时，这些基团能够储存电荷。特别是，与固体活性材料相比，它们的能量密度仍然有限，尽管它们具有高度集中的氧化还原中心(即每个离子一个)，这使得它们特别适合于能量存储。此外，由于缺乏对电子转移时的分子结构以及电极界面上发生的相互作用的基本知识，它们的发展正在放缓。我的研究计划将通过三个目标来解决这些问题：通过使用多个电子转移反应来增加能量密度，了解离子大小与插入纳米多孔碳材料的性质之间的关系，以及准确评估氧化还原离子液体在不同配置的能量存储设备中的性能。我的研究计划可能会对加拿大许多至关重要的行业产生潜在影响，特别是通过产生新的基础知识，以及培训能源储存和材料领域的高素质人员(HQP)。

Electrochemical energy storage systems are crucially important in developing the technologies required to ensure the sustainable development of our modern society. Certain electrochemical energy storage devices, such as lithium-ion batteries and supercapacitors, are widely applied and have already changed the way we store electricity, mainly in nomad electronic devices and electric vehicles. To date, the properties and performance of these devices have been largely defined by the electroactive material of which the electrodes are composed. Consequently, there is a considerable gap between the development rate of active materials, and that of the electrolytes used to support ionic charge transfer within the cell. The proposed research program is part of my group's ongoing effort to change this situation by developing advanced electrolytes that play an active role in the reactions leading to energy storage. The objective of this proposed research is to increase the energy density of redox-active electrolyte supercapacitors and develop new, metal-free liquid electrode batteries using redox ionic liquid electrolytes. This objective is motivated by the fact that ion transport is generally 103 faster in liquid than in solid phases, leading to improved electrochemical reaction kinetics. Smart electrolytes, such as the ones I intend to develop through this program, are not obtained solely by adding chemical functionality to a conventional electrolyte; rather, they feature specific molecules which combine the roles of solvent, ionic carrier, and active charge storage centre. Ionic liquids are highly suitable platforms for smart electrolyte development, given that there are very few ways to chemically modify traditional solvent molecules and maintain a liquid phase. These redox ionic liquids contain electroactive groups linked to their ions; when oxidized or reduced, these groups are capable of storing charges. In particular, their energy density remains limited in comparison to solid active materials, despite their high concentration of redox centres (i.e. one per ion) which renders them particularly interesting for energy storage. In addition, their development is being slowed by a lack of fundamental knowledge of molecular structure upon electron transfer, as well as on the interactions occurring at the electrode interface. My research program will address these issues through three objectives: increasing energy density through the use of multiple electron transfer reactions, understanding the relationship between ion size and nature on insertion in nanoporous carbon materials, and precisely evaluating the performance of redox ionic liquid in energy storage devices of different configurations. My research program may potentially impact numerous sectors of critical importance to Canada, specifically by generating new and foundational knowledge, and training highly-qualified personnel (HQP) in the fields of energy storage and materials.